Of course, we only realised a wheel nut was missing after a tyre went flat on a lonely desert road. With no mechanic for many miles, we had no choice but to attach the spare tyre as best we could. We therefore drove for a fortnight through Namibia with one wheel not entirely attached to the car. The wheel never fell off, so we learned in Namibia that attaching wheels via all six nuts is perhaps overrated!

Namibia is famous for its beautiful deserts and amazing wild animals. In a two week tour of Namibia, we saw endless white sand dunes, orange sand dune deserts, white sand abutting orange sand, hilly jagged-rock deserts, flat smoothed-rock deserts, beautiful mountainous bush scenes and flat scrubby bushland. Northern Namibia also has lush tropical rainforests. The Star Wars movie series could almost have been filmed entirely in Namibia! I’m not sure any of it actually was.

The wild game encounters in the Etosha National Park were also incredible.

Namibia is an ideal place to self drive and camp in, despite the need to check the hire car even more thoroughly than we did. Supermarkets and restaurants are full of food for the westerner’s palate. Accommodation is safe and comfortable. Commonly spoken languages include English and German. Credit cards work smoothly, and both food and fuel tends to be quite cheap.

This self contained setup with two rooftop tents was a very good way to travel through Namibia. Location: Bullsport, Namibia

At 20% larger than Texas and 30% larger than France, it takes many long driving hours to get around Namibia. We saw about half of Namibia’s attractions in two solid weeks of travel. Most of the country has gravel roads, although the main highway through the middle of the country and roads to major towns are sealed. The corrugated gravel roads provided some uncomfortable rides, especially where they had clearly not been graded for a long time.

Etosha National Park is, in my opinion, southern Africa’s premiere large game park. This is because it is bursting with wildlife and it affords the best unobstructed animal views.

Etosha mainly consists of an uninhabitable salt pan, which is interesting to see once, but not the main attraction. The roads in the park meander around and to the water holes that are immediately south of the salt pan. The animals all congregate in this area, which means that visitors have an excellent chance at seeing lots and lots of them.

We allowed four days to explore Etosha, resulting in many spectacularly close animal sightings.

Zebras can be very affectionate, often cuddling with each other like this. Location: Etosha NP, Namibia

Zebras sometimes rear up and fight, kicking and biting each other. No lasting damage was apparent. Location: Etosha NP, Namibia

One trap we did fall into was to take uncooked meat into the game park. This was no problem as we entered Etosha, but as we tried to exit, guards informed us that we could not leave with uncooked meat. Apparently uncooked meat can convey the contagious “foot and mouth” disease from wild animals to farm livestock.

Unperturbed, we parked next to the exit gate, whipped out our gas cooker and frypan, and we cooked our sausages and mince right there and then. The guards were very personable, and we gave them some of our cooked local sausage (“boerewors”) upon exit. Whilst our gesture wasn’t strictly necessary, we did successfully leave the park with the remainder of our freshly cooked meat.

An enormous bull elephant and a zebra stallion, both keeping a watchful eye on us. Location: Etosha NP, Namibia

A giraffe family ranging across an open plain. Location : Etosha NP, Namibia

Another mistake we made was not to book our game park accommodation early enough. The very safe and well-fenced accommodation sites inside Etosha National Park are highly sought after. We tried to a book an Etosha tent site one month in advance, which was too late. Accommodation close to the park was limited, but thankfully we did find places to book just outside the park gates. This included a 4 star safari lodge, which was lovely and had cheap delicious meals. Of course, it was also more costly than a tent site.

Our inability to camp inside Etosha meant that we spent two full days driving across the park between our pre-booked accommodation sites. We did spot many wild animals on these journeys, but unfortunately it meant too little time remained to drive the many offshoot roads, searching for the big cats. We also missed out on relaxing by a floodlit waterhole in the evenings, casually observing the wild animals come and go. The moral of this story is to book Namibian accommodation well in advance; I would suggest at least 6 months in advance.

Cheetahs are actually just big pussy cats at heart. Easy for me to say from the other side of a fence! Location : a private property near Etosha, Namibia

Dune 45, a popular stopping point on the way to the largest dunes at Sossusvlei, Namibia.

Of the different kinds of deserts we encountered in Namibia, my favourite was the Sossusvlei area in the Namib Desert. Spectacular classic orange sand dunes tower over a white dry marsh, which contains a combination of dead trees and the very occasional impossibly-green bush.

One tip for travellers who drive the final few kilometres on the sand to the biggest dunes is to substantially deflate your 4WD’s tyres. We travelled past many inexperienced tourists stuck in their 4WDs on the sand. They required assistance from the national park officials to get back to the main sealed road. Instead, we caught one of the many regular shuttle vehicles, for a short but extremely bumpy ride to the dry marsh and biggest dune.

This is Deadvlei, which literally means “dead marsh”. It seems surprising that trees and other plants ever grew in such a barren environment. Location: Sossusvlei area, Namibia

Given the spectacular wildlife and scenery, Namibia is a photographer’s paradise. Wildlife is so easy to spot at Etosha, with views often unobstructed due to the predominance of low grassy plains. Most wildlife seemed largely unperturbed by vehicles, which led to many close animal encounters. It also meant that animals didn’t automatically turn their backs on tourists, which is always a major boon for the wildlife photographer.

Taking a 4WD has the added advantage of being able to climb on the vehicle’s roof to gain a slightly higher vantage point over the desert landscapes. Of course, getting out of the vehicle where lions and leopards inhabit would be a great way to win a Darwin Award, but exiting your vehicle outside of game parks is safe.

The Welwitschia plant is only found in the deserts of north-western Namibia and southern Angola. Some specimens are up to 2,000 years old, and must be incredibly hardy to survive in such an arid environment. Location: Dorob National Park

Plenty of light is beneficial whilst photographing wild game, but the lack of any clouds can be a challenge when shooting landscapes. Of course, one advantage of clear skies is that they lend themselves to a spectacular view of the stars. I highly recommend that photographers take a sturdy tripod for long night exposures in Namibia.

Coastal areas can often be shrouded in mist, and the resultant soft light can be a blessing or a curse depending on what the photographer wants to achieve. Thankfully, the mist seems to clear every day, eventually bathing the coast in bright sunlight and blue skies.

Namibia is picturesque both night and day. Location: Bullsport, Namibia

Namibia felt reasonably safe throughout our journey, although towns had a large number of people simply loitering. This encouraged us to be particularly vigilant with our personal belongings, and so we encountered no hint of trouble. I carried my camera gear with me throughout, as is my usual practice when I travel. Leaving my gear anywhere felt like it would be even more of a risk in Namibia than any other place I’ve visited recently.

This is how the locals roll in Namibia. We gave this guy some water as he travelled between remote villages. Location : Uis, Namibia

People were friendly and helpful everywhere, which made it a pleasurable place to travel through. For example, we arrived at one campsite to realise that we had accidentally booked the wrong date. According to the booking confirmation, we had arrived exactly one year too early! The campsites were all taken when we arrived, but this was no problem to the staff. They found us a spot next to a picnic shelter for our 4WD, rolled out a long power cable so we could re-energise our equipment, and charged us just a nominal fee.

Then we realised our gas cooker nozzle was completely blocked, just as they were about to close their shop and go home. No dinner (and, more importantly to some, no coffee) was looming as a big problem for us! The staff immediately unlocked a fuel bowser to help clean our gas nozzle with petrol, then turned on their workshop’s air compressor to blow out the dust. This cleared the blockage and we were once again able to make coffee and cook dinner. Whew! We really appreciated the staff who delayed their own dinner time, so we could eat ours.

Two weeks of driving around Namibia didn’t feel like quite enough to do the country justice. I’d recommend at least a three week tour (and ideally four weeks) to enjoy all Namibia’s main attractions. However, even a few days in Namibia would be well worth it, because it is such a breathtaking location.

This was actually my fourth trip to Namibia, and I certainly hope to go back again. Next time, I will more carefully inspect the hire vehicle, including the wheel nuts, before I start driving!

Readers who are inspired by amazing deserts would be well advised to consider Ugo Cei’s “Discover Oman” tour in early December 2017. The tour is through amazing deserts and fascinating cultures, with comfortable accommodation and excellent food. It is all arranged for you in the very safe and stable country of Oman. Add the world class photographer and educator, Ugo Cei, and the trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I understand a couple of places are still available at the time I write this. Get in quick.

Finally, for readers who are not sure how to pronounce “Namibia”, it is nuh-mib-ee-ya. Nuh rhymes with far, mib rhymes with crib, ee rhymes with tree, ya rhymes with pa. Hope that helps!

About the Author

Simon Patterson is an enthusiastic photographer who also likes discovering the truth about things. He loves hiking and camping in the wilderness and the challenge of learning to communicate through the art of photography. Simon aims to create images that affect people emotionally. When not out shooting or processing images, he reads everything he can about photography. Simon resides in country Victoria, Australia.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/namibia-50-shades-desert/feed/18390How Much Should an Amateur Charge?https://www.ucphoto.me/b/much-amateur-charge/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/much-amateur-charge/#commentsMon, 09 Oct 2017 07:00:17 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=6642by Simon Patterson As a serious amateur photographer, people sometimes asked me how much I would charge to shoot something for them. I had never charged to shoot photos for someone else before, so how should I have responded? Once a friend referred me to a local music promoter who was seeking photography services. The promoter emailed me and asked ...

As a serious amateur photographer, people sometimes asked me how much I would charge to shoot something for them. I had never charged to shoot photos for someone else before, so how should I have responded?

Once a friend referred me to a local music promoter who was seeking photography services. The promoter emailed me and asked how much I would charge to shoot an upcoming show. I had no idea what photography was worth. What should I have said?

I love shooting bands and would have been happy to do the job for free, but I thought that providing the service for free would be unfair to the professional photographer community. The last thing I wanted to do was undercut legitimate photography businesses, and the music promoter was operating for profit so it seemed right for him to pay for the service anyway. But how much was the job worth? I didn’t even know a ballpark figure.

I love shooting bands but thought that providing the service for free would be unfair to professional photographers. Band : Bubstone

So I reached out to a couple of band photographers in another city to ask what the going rates for this kind of photography were. Unfortunately, a pro photographer read my message but didn’t bother to respond. The other photographer turned out to be an amateur like me so he was unable to give advice. I didn’t know any other band photographers, so I had exhausted my pool of resources very quickly. My Google searching also proved fruitless for learning the cost of band photography in smaller, local Australian venues.

This all took a few days, by which time the music promoter told me he had someone else to do it and so my services were not required. Bummer – it would have been a lot of fun, and I missed out on the opportunity because I was trying to do the right thing by the professional photography community.

I missed an opportunity because I tried to do the right thing by the professional photographer community. Band : Avenues End

A few months later, someone else contacted me saying she heard I was a freelance photographer. She would like to know how much would I charge to shoot some products for her website? I thought I’d enjoy the challenge of shooting product shots, so I was keen to assist her. I did have previous experience of product photography, and I was very confident I could improve greatly on her existing website shots. Again, the old chestnut – how much to charge?

I had previous experience of product photography

This time I didn’t bother trying to reach out to professional photographers. I didn’t know the pro photographers in my local area to be able to refer the client to, and I’d learnt the hard way that asking other photographers for assistance could well be a waste of time. I asked the client her budget for the shoot, but she replied that they had no idea what it was worth and so couldn’t guess what they would need to budget.

So I quickly jumped onto Google, did one search for “product photography” and the output list included a business in another city that was advertising a “super special” of $20 per image used. I didn’t even click on their link to learn their terms and conditions – that sounded good enough to me as it was a figure I could provide. The main attraction for me was enjoying the challenge anyway; any income was simply a pleasant bonus.

The products I shot were plaques and memorials with beautifully sharp and sometimes intricate laser engraving

This approach enabled me to immediately reply to the client, saying I’ll shoot the images and then they can pay $20 for each image they want to use on their website. No charge for the images they don’t use. My price was agreed to straight away, and we arranged a time for me to go and shoot their products.

A few days later, the shoot took me about 2.5 hours. The processing / organising time was about the same. I provided 15 images, the client liked them all, and immediately paid me to use them on her website. The customer was happy and I had a blast. I also learned a lot more about shooting for clients and shooting products.

The main attraction for me is enjoying the challenge of making an image I’m proud of

So, what should I have done differently? What advice would you have for an amateur photographer who is asked to price a job? Especially for an amateur photographer who doesn’t know the local professional photographers to be able to recommend them.

About the Author

Simon Patterson is an enthusiastic photographer who also likes discovering the truth about things. He loves hiking and camping in the wilderness and the challenge of learning to communicate through the art of photography. Simon aims to create images that affect people emotionally. When not out shooting or processing images, he reads everything he can about photography. Simon resides in country Victoria, Australia.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/much-amateur-charge/feed/16642Homelands of the Vikings, Part 2: Helsinkihttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/homelands-vikings-part-2-helsinki/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/homelands-vikings-part-2-helsinki/#respondWed, 04 Oct 2017 22:26:06 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=8379by Bob McCormac This is a multi-part article encompassing my 20-day trip to the Nordic countries that spawned the Vikings and where they left their mark on civilization. In most areas, those direct influences have long since been erased but the impact on the cultures is still apparent in each country. Some of the articles also cover the neighboring countries, ...

This is a multi-part article encompassing my 20-day trip to the Nordic countries that spawned the Vikings and where they left their mark on civilization. In most areas, those direct influences have long since been erased but the impact on the cultures is still apparent in each country. Some of the articles also cover the neighboring countries, like Finland, Poland, Russia, and Estonia.

Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland was originally established as a Swedish outpost in 1550. Due to on again, off again wars between Sweden and Russia, Finland was annexed by Russia in 1809 after Sweden lost the 21-year war with Russia. It remained part of Russia until 1917 when during the Russian Revolution of that year Finland negotiated its autonomy from Russia with a financial buyout that the Fins were still paying for into the 1960s. While Finland is part of the EU they are not aligned with NATO as their need for Russian oil is a more pressing financial matter. Helsinki is also one of the few places that you will continue to see monuments to the former Czars of Russia.

Helsinki locals like to joke that they have two seasons: winter season and construction season! Indeed, everywhere we traveled in Helsinki construction was underway making streets difficult to navigate.

Our first stop is the Jean Sibelius monument. Sibelius was a composer and violinist who is widely credited with helping Finland establish its national identity during its time under Russian rule. Sibelius was so loved and admired that only ten years after his death in 1967, the monument to him and his music was constructed, but it took another 20 years before the monument really gained a foothold in Finland’s national conscience. It is believed that Sibelius saw musical notes as colors and that this ability influenced his compositions.

Jean Sibelius Monument, Helsinki

Jean Sibelius Monument, Helsinki

I’ve come to find out that the tour guides in the country are tired of visiting churches and have named a church stop as an “ABC” (Another Bloody Church). In any case, our next two stops are at churches – The Uspenski Cathedral and the Church of the Rock (Temppeliaukio Church). The Uspenski is unique for its obvious Russian influence with onion shaped cupolas and a beautiful weathered copper roof.

Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki

The Church of the Rock or Rock Church is probably one of the most unique constructions as it’s built right into the side of a rock in downtown. While the outside is not very impressive, the inside with its copper ceiling is very dramatic.

Ceiling inside the Church of the Rock

There are many places that you should check out in Helsinki but my time is short so I move on to the Central Station which is almost in the center of the downtown area. The station is an imposing structure and if I had more time I would probably spend an hour investigating it. The clock tower reminds me of some of the images from Depression era movies meant to convey the state’s power over the common man.

Helsinki Central Station

About the Author

Bob McCormac is primarily a landscape and travel photographer from New Jersey in the USA. Bob spent forty years as an information technology professional before deciding to pursue a long held passion for photography. Bob considers his style as simple and direct; trying not to over complicate the shot while still conveying the feeling.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/homelands-vikings-part-2-helsinki/feed/08379Never Criticize Other People’s Workhttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/never-criticize-peoples-work/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/never-criticize-peoples-work/#commentsTue, 03 Oct 2017 09:11:28 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=8335I was recently on an Internet forum where people usually post their own photos. There, somebody had commented on a photo that somebody else had shared and the entirety of their comment was “Truly horrible.” That’s what they wrote, literally. Reading such comments never fails to upset me and, whenever you tell those people that their comments are out of ...

I was recently on an Internet forum where people usually post their own photos. There, somebody had commented on a photo that somebody else had shared and the entirety of their comment was “Truly horrible.” That’s what they wrote, literally.

Reading such comments never fails to upset me and, whenever you tell those people that their comments are out of place, they invariably retort that they have a right to their opinions and that if somebody publishes a photo, they willingly expose themselves to critique and even to harsh criticism even if such criticism is not constructive in any way.

It’s not the first time I’ve been discussing this topic online, but now I want to share my own thoughts on my podcast.

I resolved some time ago to never criticize other people’s work. I never even critique them, unless I’ve been explicitly asked to give a critique, like “What do you think of the composition or the colors here?”. Then I might give some advice, but I don’t think of that as a critique. I would never criticize anyone, if not solicited.

This episode reminded me of a quote I once read in Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, a great book, so I’m just going to put that quote here, because I think it is very much relevant to what I am discussing.

“If you find yourself criticizing other people, you’re probably doing it out of Resistance. When we see others beginning to live their authentic selves, it drives us crazy if we have not lived out our own. Individuals who are realized in their own lives almost never criticize others. If they speak at all, it is to offer encouragement. Watch yourself. Of all the manifestations of Resistance, most only harm ourselves. Criticism and cruelty harm others as well.”

– Steven Pressfield, “The War of Art”

I would also like to present another quote, with which I agree wholeheartedly. This one is by Rick Sammon.

“When I hear someone needlessly criticizing the work of others, I think about what my mother used to tell me: If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything.”

– Rick Sammon

This is why I have resolved, as I wrote above, never to criticize anyone’s work. If you catch me doing that, please slap me on my wrist, because it’s just wrong. I think that criticizing somebody else’s work only reflects badly on the person extending the criticism.

I know this can be a contentious subject and that many think that, with their critique or criticism, they are helping others grow. I personally don’t believe that’s really possible, unless it’s done in a very specific and controlled setting, like a portfolio review by a master. Then I would accept it, but it’s been requested.

Were you ever criticized, when posting photos online, in a way that made you feel uncomfortable? Share your experience in the comments below.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/never-criticize-peoples-work/feed/4I was recently on an Internet forum where people usually post their own photos. There, somebody had commented on a photo that somebody else had shared and the entirety of their comment was “Truly horrible.” That’s what they wrote, literally.
Reading such comments never fails to upset me and, whenever you tell those people that their comments are out of place, they invariably retort that they have a right to their opinions and that if somebody publishes a photo, they willingly expose themselves to critique and even to harsh criticism even if such criticism is not constructive in any way.
It’s not the first time I’ve been discussing this topic online, but now I want to share my own thoughts on my podcast.
I resolved some time ago to never criticize other people’s work. I never even critique them, unless I’ve been explicitly asked to give a critique, like “What do you think of the composition or the colors here?”. Then I might give some advice, but I don’t think of that as a critique. I would never criticize anyone, if not solicited.
This episode reminded me of a quote I once read in Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, a great book, so I’m just going to put that quote here, because I think it is very much relevant to what I am discussing.
“If you find yourself criticizing other people, you’re probably doing it out of Resistance. When we see others beginning to live their authentic selves, it drives us crazy if we have not lived out our own. Individuals who are realized in their own lives almost never criticize others. If they speak at all, it is to offer encouragement. Watch yourself. Of all the manifestations of Resistance, most only harm ourselves. Criticism and cruelty harm others as well.”
– Steven Pressfield, “The War of Art”
I would also like to present another quote, with which I agree wholeheartedly. This one is by Rick Sammon.
“When I hear someone needlessly criticizing the work of others, I think about what my mother used to tell me: If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything.”
– Rick Sammon
This is why I have resolved, as I wrote above, never to criticize anyone’s work. If you catch me doing that, please slap me on my wrist, because it’s just wrong. I think that criticizing somebody else’s work only reflects badly on the person extending the criticism.
I know this can be a contentious subject and that many think that, with their critique or criticism, they are helping others grow. I personally don’t believe that’s really possible, unless it’s done in a very specific and controlled setting, like a portfolio review by a master. Then I would accept it, but it’s been requested.
Were you ever criticized, when posting photos online, in a way that made you feel uncomfortable? Share your experience in the comments below.If you want to receive new episodes of the podcast directly on your device, subscribe on iTunes here.]]>Ugo Ceiclean3:548335On the Road on the Isle of Skyehttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/road-isle-skye/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/road-isle-skye/#respondThu, 14 Sep 2017 15:18:00 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=7241by Ambra Pidroni and Attilio Pregnolato. An Italian version of this article originally appeared at The World’s Paths. Isle of Skye, the place where ancient myths and legends were born. Vikings who came from the cold and bloodthirsty Scotsmen confronted each other in these lands where stories of elves and druids abund. How could we not visit such a place? ...

]]>by Ambra Pidroni and Attilio Pregnolato. An Italian version of this article originally appeared at The World’s Paths.

Isle of Skye, the place where ancient myths and legends were born. Vikings who came from the cold and bloodthirsty Scotsmen confronted each other in these lands where stories of elves and druids abund.

How could we not visit such a place? Impossible! So a long weekend and a flight to Glasgow open us the doors to Scotland and the Isle of Skye.

Our trip begins on a rainy april morning, after having landed and collected our rental car.

Our first taste of Scottish landscapes does not disappoint. Here is Glencoe under the rain

We decide to head straight to Skye without stopping, so that we won’t have to drive tomorrow, but we’ll enjoy a full day on the island instead. We drive northward, stopping here and there just to stretch our legs, passing Glencoe and Fort William along the way, with plans to stop there on our way back.

Time flies fast, between the flight and the drive. It’s night already and we still have to find a place to sleep, but we have already gone over the bridge that, crossing Eilean Bàn, links Skye to the mainland.

We finally arrive at Portree and–after a quick fish-and-chips dinner in a typical British pub, The Isles Inn–we look for a comfortable area and we set up camp. There goes our first night in Scotland.

Storr and the Old Man of Storr, fingers of stone pointing to the sky (or more like to the clouds)

We wake up–believe it or not–under the rain. Last night it rained, but not that much, after all. Ready for what promises to be a wet day, we make way towards the Old Man of Storr, a very famous stone monolith surrounded by smaller stones and overshadowed by the the Storr, the rocky hill that gives the Old Man its name.

This is a popular spot, a place where many films have been shot and where an impressive number of photos have been taken (we bet you can’t find even one without clouds). Only seeing it up close makes us appreciate its sheer size.

During our trek around Storr, along a well planned but unusual itinerary

We don’t want to do the classical hike, almost always crowded, that rises from the coast straight to the stony fingers. We opt instead for a much longer trek that initially takes across what we find out to be marshland well hidden by the tall grass. We thus discover the importance of the bog factor when we are in water up to our ankles! In any case, we eventually reach the summit of the Storr, at 719 meters above sea level.

The Bog Factor

A very useful site that helped us in choosing among the many trails of the Isle of Skye is Walkhighlands. While the site can look humorous and funny, it provides all of the information necessary to anyone who wants to hike Skye.

By consulting Walkhighlands, we chose our second, short trek toQuiraing. We didn’t walk the whole trail, but stopped at Quiraing, one of the lowest peaks, but we were rewarded with a fabulous view anyway.

The Quiraing Circuit can be easy or hard, depending on how many times you want to stop and look around.

Even after having done two treks, our day isn’t over yet. We take one more drive to the village of Dunvegan on the other side of the island. While distances are short, speed is low and even moving to a place close by takes quite some time.

We look for a place to camp as we are used to, but all lawns are fenced and we can’t find a free camping spot. A bit disappointed by this, we resort to checking in at the only campsite in the area.

The Kinloch campsite in Dunvegan offers warm showers and an unrivaled view over the fjord

It’s not easy to find, but after a few dead ends we arrive at the Kinloch Campsite and we mount our tent a few feet from the shoreline of this beautiful fjord.

Another night of rain awaits us. While we weren’t exactly expecting sunny skies, this is starting to be a bit too much. However, a pale morning sun allows us to dry the tent before stuffing it into the trunk. A very welcome present!

If it wasn’t for the incoming storm and the woolen cap, Claigan Coral beach might belong to the Maldives

We resolve to make the most of those rays of sun to take an easy walk, along the beach for once. We head to Claigan Coral Beach, a white sand beach with crystalline waters and lots of rabbits.

Yes, rabbits, that surround us when we reach the big lawn at the end of the walk. Once alerted to our presence, however, they disappear into their holes in the ground.

We just have the time to snap a few quick shots before the sunbeams are blown away by another thunderstorm that is quickly approaching. With a bit of luck, we manage to escape it at the last moment.

Neist Point with its vertical cliffs and the huge population of birds of all kinds

Having bypassed one more thunderstorm, we reach the next stage in this fast-paced and intense Scottish weekend. Our destination is Neist Point, the westernmost point on the Isle of Skye, where a descent towards the lighthouse and the vast number of birds that surround it awaits us.

The day is not over yet. We head back to our car and drive to Fairy Pools. We believe the name comes from the incredible colors of those pools and waterfalls, but maybe also from the chilling, almost magical wind that blows around here and that we try to avoid by taking a route longer than the usual tourist trail.

The icy Fairy Pools with their fantastic colors

The day has flown by in an instant and we still have some distance to cover to return to Portree, where we spend the night in the same spot we had found on our first night in Scotland.

It’s a little secluded place some distance from the road from Sligachan to Portree. A few cars go by, but once the night falls we are almost alone. We don’t usually reveal the locations of our best spots, but for once here’s our Wild Camping site!

Another night at the wild camping site we’ve become so fond of

Today is the last day on Skye and this evening we should already be back on the mainland, but this doesn’t mean we will pass on some more opportunities for adventure. The day begins in Elgol, where we try to catch a ferry to nearby Loch Coruisk, but guess what? All ferry services are suspended because of adverse weather conditions!

A group of Highland cattle, with long horns and long hair blowing in the wind help us see the bright side of life.

Hairy Highland Cattle console us of our missed trip to Loch Coruisk

It’s already time to leave the Isle of Skye. There would be many other places to discover here, but we have seen much of what we intended to see and we are happy.

We say goodby to Skye while we promise ourselves that we will be back one day to try the Skye Trail, 128 kilometers along mountains and coastal trails, a week of tough and pure Scottish adventure.

A very sturdy looking Tibetan bridge leads us to Steall Meadows, in the Glen Nevis area

As we did on our way out, we don’t take too many useless stops, if not for a brief detour to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct, famous for having been the set of many a Harry Potter movie. Pretty, but not worth the diversion.

Our real destination today is the short trails that skims the famousBen Nevis–Scotland’s highest peak at 1,345m–and brings us to the waterfall at Steall Meadows.

Steall Falls, a hidden and fascinating waterfall

Having walked across the Tibetan bridge–with free access and not a safety line in sight–we find ourselves in a beautiful marhsland right before reaching the falls. The whole Glen Nevis region is truly stunning. So much that, once we get back to the car, we would like to stop for the night, but we can’t find even a single camping spot.

We resume driving, but because of the strong wind and the rain we cannot stop until we arrive at the Beinglas Farm Campsite, almost on the banks of Loch Lomond. It’s pitch black and it rains heavily, so we have a quick dinner at the small bar and head straight to our sleeping bags.

A fun and relaxing kayak ride near Luss, were it not for the stormy waters

We wake up knowing we have only about 24 hours of Scotland left, so we decide to repeat what had been a fabulous experience during our trip to Iceland: we rent a kayak at Luss, on Loch Lomond with the intention of reaching Inchlonaig, the small island in the middle of the lake.

On the face of it, this looks like a wonderful idea, at least until we exit the harbor and the waves start growing, the current becomes strong and adverse, and gusts of wind threaten to overturn us. We finally manage to land on the island, tired and wet and the return route is even worse. An interesting adventure, to put it mildly, but disregard the advice about the route and the weather from those who rent kayaks!

After so many adventures, we deserve a comfortable night in a B&B in Glasgow

Having waved goodbye to the kayak–it was definitely a great adrenaline rush–we find the kitchen of a luxury restaurants that sells fish-and-chips in the back and we take advantage of it to regain some energy.

We spend the afternoon and the night in Glasgow. After a nice, warm shower in a fabulous AirBnB, we take a quick drive around the northwestern part of the city, since the outside temperature has dropped and the icy wind is not conductive to walking. We visit Kelvingrove Park, the University campus before concluding our evening at The Finnieston, a small and chic restaurant suggested both by our host and by the Lonely Planet guide. This turns out to be a perfect choice: tasty food at a nice price!

We then take some well deserved sleep before heading back home. Scotland has fascinated us and we make a resolution to return as soon as possible to discover the places we couldn’t see during our first, too short trip.

About Ambra and Attilio

Fill up your backpack: everything you need, nothing more. Free space will be needed for memories and the light weight will let you walk more miles.

Tie your shoes again, close your home door and leave, a new adventure is awaiting you.

it is always the same story even though it is different everytime: a better one? probably! All that matters is that it is a new experience that will be part of your personal growth. It will remain there, in your heart , in that little part of you that helps you when life gives you lemons!

What more is there to say? We are two Italian guys with the biggest wanderlust. Mountains do allure us, road trips are our everyday wish, people around the globe are our best friends and all we wish to do is travel all around the world and experience the wisdom of the real traveler.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/road-isle-skye/feed/07241Thailand in Two Weeks; Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Lampanghttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-ayutthaya-sukhothai-lampang/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-ayutthaya-sukhothai-lampang/#commentsFri, 08 Sep 2017 07:00:19 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=7174This is the third installment in my series about Thailand. You can find the previous ones by clicking on the below links: One Night in Chinatown, Bangkok More Bangkok All photos taken with the Fujifilm X-T2, Fujifilm X100S and various lenses. Ayutthaya Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam until 1767, when it was invaded by the Burmese army ...

Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam until 1767, when it was invaded by the Burmese army and burned to the ground. It is crazy to think that, at the time, it was the most populous city in the world, at over one million inhabitants, and it rivaled Paris and London. All of its splendor and riches came abruptly to an end, as the city was sacked, all wooden civil buildings burned, its temples and palaces depredated, and its population slaughtered or deported.

Just imagine Napoleon conquering London and razing it to the ground to have an idea of the scale of this event.

The remains of the city, a pale reflection of its glorious past, today constitute the Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Mahathat

Buddha Head, Wat Mahathat

Wat Ratchaburana

Wat Chai Watthanaram

Sukhothai

Sukhothai, about 400km north of Bangkok, was the capital of its namesake kingdom, which ruled from 1238 until 1438 over most of what is now central Thailand and a predecessor of the kingdom that had its capital in Ayutthaya.

The current Historical Park has 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose temples sit among beautiful lawns and trees and that is easily toured by bicycle or on foot.

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Wat Mahathat

Sukhothai at sunset

You can either stay in the new Sukhothai, a not particularly interesting city 12km to the east, or near the old Sukhothai. We opted for the latter option and through our hotel we enrolled the services of Krian, a friendly tuk tuk (more like a motorized rickshaw actually) driver who was happy to carry us around at any time.

Krian, our tuk-tuk driver

Lampang

This was our third stop on the way to Chiang Mai. We were enticed by a couple guidebooks that described Lampang as a provincial city that still preserves the atmosphere of Northern Thailand as it used to be and that has not been completely transformed by tourism. That might actually be true, but as a matter of fact there isn’t much to see there, save for two or three moderately interesting temples.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-ayutthaya-sukhothai-lampang/feed/37174Homelands of the Vikings, Part 1: Stockholmhttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/homelands-vikings-part-1-stockholm/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/homelands-vikings-part-1-stockholm/#commentsThu, 07 Sep 2017 09:29:26 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=7090by Bob McCormac This is a multi-part article encompassing my 20-day trip to the Nordic countries that spawned the Vikings and where they left their mark on civilization. In most areas, those direct influences have long since been erased but the impact on the cultures is still apparent in each country. Some of the articles also cover the neighboring countries, ...

This is a multi-part article encompassing my 20-day trip to the Nordic countries that spawned the Vikings and where they left their mark on civilization. In most areas, those direct influences have long since been erased but the impact on the cultures is still apparent in each country. Some of the articles also cover the neighboring countries, like Finland, Poland, Russia, and Estonia.

The first part of the journey covers Stockholm Sweden.

From Philadelphia, we took Icelandair to Reykjavik Iceland where we changed planes for the flight to Stockholm; in total, almost nine hours of flight time. Don’t expect much in the way of amenities on Icelandair and, when you’re at Reykjavik airport expect confusion.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and it is situated across fourteen main islands on Lake Mälaren which flows into the Baltic Sea and is connected by 54 bridges. In contrast to Venice, where the city is sinking, Stockholm is actually rising due to a phenomenon known as post-glacial rebound, where the land springs up in the absence of the weight of ice sheets from the last ice age. The effects of glacial rebound can be seen is some of the buildings, where there is noticeable tilting.

After a 25-minute ride from the airport to our hotel in the heart of downtown Stockholm, we rest for an hour before we take on the trail forged by Stieg Larsson in his Millennium Trilogy (the Millennium tour can be booked on-line). For the uninitiated, the first book of Larsson’s trilogy originally took form in the title of “Men Who Hate Women” only to be changed by the original German publisher to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. The tour starts at #1 Bellmansgatan, Sodermalm where the novel’s protagonist, Mikael Blomkvist, has his apartment. The apartment has no entrance at street level and can only be accessed from a second story bridge that runs over Bellmansgatan to the apartment building.

Bridge leading to Blomkvist’s Apartment

View from atop the Bridge

From this point, the two-hour tour winds its way through the streets of Stockholm to some of the familiar haunts from the novels. If you take this tour you will encounter some true die-hard fans of Stieg Larsson’s work that will have all of the details memorized. Brush up before you go.

Mural of the Lisbeth Salander character in advance of the next installment in the series

For fantastic panoramic views, walk from #1 Bellmansgatan about a block and a half up Bastugatan until you see the sign for Monteliusvagen Street; hang a right turn and walk up the hill to this high panoramic view of the city to the North including: Gamla Stan (The City Between the Bridges) – The Town or Old Town as it is known now. Many other historic sites to the North and East in Stockholm can be seen from this vantage point.

Old Town in Stockholm

Rooftops seen from Monteliusvagen Street

Stockholm Central Station is a sprawling complex for train and bus departures that has an outstanding pedestrian arcade with many restaurants and shops. The Station is worth checking out both for the shops in the interior and the architecture both inside and out.

Interior of Stockholm Central Station

If you hail from an English-speaking country you’ll have no trouble navigating your way through the city as almost all locals speak English very well. Swedes generally begin learning English around age seven.

A great way to see a lot while in Stockholm, the “Hop On, Hop Off” busses can get you around a large part of the city between 10am and 6pm daily. You can even do a Hop On, Hop Off boat tour as part of the bus tour for a few dollars more. If you catch the boat, it will drop you off on any of the nine stops it makes.

Looking towards Old Town from the Hop On-Hop Off Boat

For the photographer, get off the boat at the Södermalm stop and go to Photografiska (The Swedish Museum of Photography). The museum and the attached outdoor restaurant offer a great experience.

The Photography Museum, Fotografiska

Young lady enjoying Photografiska

Almost directly across from Photografiska is the small island of Kastellholmen where a small, but prominent castle almost rises out of the lake. The castle, sometimes referred to as the Citadel, has continuously flown the Swedish naval flag since 1665 indicating that the capital city is still under Swedish control.

The Citadel on Kastellholmen

Stockholm has a vibrant shopping district that is heavily visited by locals and tourists alike. With one million citizens in central Stockholm plus tourists it can make for a very crowded experience almost anywhere you go in the city. On the corner of Olof Palmes Gata and Drotninggatan there’s an Espresso House where we stopped for a coffee and some people watching. The throngs of shoppers were nonstop the entire time. We even witnessed a pedestrian and driver getting into a slap fight in the middle of traffic after the pedestrian made some disparaging remark to the vehicle’s driver.

On December 10 each year, the Nobel prize awards ceremony is held at the Concert Hall on Hay Market Square. Later that day, a dinner honoring the winners is held at City Hall. The only exception is for the Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo Norway because Nobel felt Norway was the most peaceful country on earth since they had never initiated a war.

The Concert Hall without its outdoor markets during the week

There is a lot to see and do in Stockholm and you could easily spend five days or more checking out all of the landmarks and other places of interest.

Stockholm Post Office edifice

In Stockholm, we board our ship that will take us to our remaining stops. The transit of Lake Mälaren takes about three hours and once we hit the Baltic Sea the ship quickly picks up speed. The journey to Helsinki takes about seventeen hours in total.

Transit of Lake Mälaren

Cove along Lake Mälaren

About the Author

Bob McCormac is primarily a landscape and travel photographer from New Jersey in the USA. Bob spent forty years as an information technology professional before deciding to pursue a long held passion for photography. Bob considers his style as simple and direct; trying not to over complicate the shot while still conveying the feeling.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/homelands-vikings-part-1-stockholm/feed/17090Thailand in Two Weeks: More Bangkokhttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-bangkok/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-bangkok/#commentsFri, 01 Sep 2017 01:02:17 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=7053This is the second in a series of articles about Thailand. Start here to read the first one. All photos taken with the Fujifilm X-T2 and various lenses. Bangkok is rightly famous for its beautiful Buddhist temples, but truth be told, one can only visit and photograph so many wats and Buddha statues before it all starts getting quite repetitive. One ...

Bangkok is rightly famous for its beautiful Buddhist temples, but truth be told, one can only visit and photograph so many wats and Buddha statues before it all starts getting quite repetitive. One other problem with those temples is that they are rightly popular and therefore crowded and overly photographed.

Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho

When we were at Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, for example, there was a bazillion Chinese tourists in organized groups and it became really hard to get a shot with no people. I had to resort to shooting up towards the sky, which luckily had some interesting clouds, or details like the row of Garudas that adorns the Phra Ubosot.

Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

In order to add some interest and go beyond the usual snapshots, I decided to concentrate on people, mostly the local Thais who were either praying or eating, unlike the tourists who were all intent on photographing.

Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Many classes visit the temples of Bangkok at every day and all the students are always very happy to have their photo taken, so I obviously had to oblige. Some of these portraits were taken at the neighboring Wat Pho.

Schoolgirls of Bangkok

Schoolgirl of Bangkok

Schoolgirls of Bangkok

Wat Pho courtyard, Bangkok

The Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho, Bangkok

Wat Arun

Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, is interesting from the inside, but it also provides one of the most recognizable views of Bangkok when photographed from across the Chao Phraya river.

Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, Bangkok

Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, Bangkok

Wat Benchamabophit

The last temple for today is Wat Benchamabophit, the Marble Temple, so called because of the profusion of Carrara marble used for its construction.

Wat Benchamabophit (the Marble Temple), Bangkok

Baan Baht

When you have had enough with temples, there are several other places in Bangkok that are worth a visit and a few photos, starting with the Baan Baht neighborhood. It consists of a handful of alleys east of Ratanakosin that even most Bangkok natives (our taxi driver included) would have trouble locating and that are home to the last five remaining families of artisans that create by hand the copper bowls (baht) used by monks to collect alms.

Nowadays most monks use industrially produced bowls, so those craftspeople still practice their centuries-old art for the benefit of tourists.

Baan Bath, Bangkok

Baan Bath, Bangkok

Chatuchak Weekend Market

This is a market in the northern part of Bangkok that is open on weekends. We spent most of our time there in the vintage clothing section, but it’s so huge that you could easily spend a full day there. It is also a source of great photo subjects and of yummy and cheap street food. The Tom Yam Kung was too heavy on the coconut milk, however.

Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok

Tom Yam Kung, Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok

Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok

Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok

Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok

Back to Chinatown

On our last night in Bangkok, we went back to Chinatown for some street food and some street photography. Using Chawadee Nualkhair’s ever useful guide, Thailand’s Best Street Food (hat tip to Gordon Laing), we zeroed onto Elvis Suki, a place that seems to be populated exclusively by locals and that didn’t disappoint. The grilled scallops with pork were delicious!

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-bangkok/feed/17053Thailand in Two Weeks: One Night in Chinatown, Bangkokhttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-one-night-chinatown-bangkok/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-one-night-chinatown-bangkok/#commentsFri, 25 Aug 2017 16:41:40 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=7015As I am writing this, I am sitting in my hotel room in Chiang Mai, as our first week in Thailand is coming to its end and after having visited Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and Lampang. I am finally finding some time to process a few more images than those few I did while on the road. I will need some ...

]]>As I am writing this, I am sitting in my hotel room in Chiang Mai, as our first week in Thailand is coming to its end and after having visited Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and Lampang.

I am finally finding some time to process a few more images than those few I did while on the road. I will need some more time to elaborate my feeling about this wonderful country and write properly about it, but I didn’t want to leave you waiting too much, so I will probably publish some in the next few days, starting with a selection of those I took on our first night, which we spend in Bangkok’s Chinatown, along the famed Yaowarat Road, with its neon lights and bustling street food scene. A feast for the eyes and the taste buds alike.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/thailand-two-weeks-one-night-chinatown-bangkok/feed/47015Think Like a Magazine Editorhttps://www.ucphoto.me/b/think-like-magazine-editor/
https://www.ucphoto.me/b/think-like-magazine-editor/#respondTue, 15 Aug 2017 06:00:54 +0000https://www.ucphoto.me/?p=6969Magazine editors want to see a story develop through pictures. I think a little example here will serve well to illustrate the concept. You can also take this as an exercise and do it on the next occasion. Imagine you are commissioned to shoot photographs to illustrate a story about a restaurant that has recently become popular or has received ...

Magazine editors want to see a story develop through pictures. I think a little example here will serve well to illustrate the concept. You can also take this as an exercise and do it on the next occasion.

Imagine you are commissioned to shoot photographs to illustrate a story about a restaurant that has recently become popular or has received some prestigious award. Now think, rather literally, about the story of a person going out to dinner in that restaurant.

You could start with a photo of the restaurant’s front from across the street, as if you were approaching it. This is what is called an establishing shot and could be used in a two-page spread to open the article.

Then you get closer and start noticing some details, like the restaurant’s name on the door or the menu posted outside.

Going inside, you get a glimpse of the hall, with people having dinner at their tables. Another establishing shot.

The maître d’ approaches you with a smile to greet the guests. You take a photo of him.

During the dinner, you take various photos of the dishes and of the wines.

Afterwards, you ask to see the kitchen and compliment the chef. You take some portraits of him in his kitchen (a series of environmental portraits) and some close-ups of his hands preparing food. A wide shot of the kitchen with the cooks at work would also be nice to have.

Congratulations, what you just did is telling the story of your dinner in pictures!

Here’s a couple more tips to guide you:

Constantly alternate between going wide to show context and getting close to focus on details.

Shoot all subjects in portrait and landscape orientation. You never know how the magazine will want to arrange your photos on a page.

Shoot a lot, but always intentionally, never randomly.

One or two wide shots are enough, maybe add a few more medium shots, but it’s the small details that make all the difference.

]]>https://www.ucphoto.me/b/think-like-magazine-editor/feed/0Magazine editors want to see a story develop through pictures. I think a little example here will serve well to illustrate the concept. You can also take this as an exercise and do it on the next occasion. Imagine you are commissioned to shoot photogra...
Imagine you are commissioned to shoot photographs to illustrate a story about a restaurant that has recently become popular or has received some prestigious award. Now think, rather literally, about the story of a person going out to dinner in that restaurant.
You could start with a photo of the restaurant’s front from across the street, as if you were approaching it. This is what is called an establishing shot and could be used in a two-page spread to open the article.

Then you get closer and start noticing some details, like the restaurant’s name on the door or the menu posted outside.

Going inside, you get a glimpse of the hall, with people having dinner at their tables. Another establishing shot.

The maître d’ approaches you with a smile to greet the guests. You take a photo of him.

During the dinner, you take various photos of the dishes and of the wines.

Afterwards, you ask to see the kitchen and compliment the chef. You take some portraits of him in his kitchen (a series of environmental portraits) and some close-ups of his hands preparing food. A wide shot of the kitchen with the cooks at work would also be nice to have.

Congratulations, what you just did is telling the story of your dinner in pictures!
Here’s a couple more tips to guide you:

* Constantly alternate between going wide to show context and getting close to focus on details.
* Shoot all subjects in portrait and landscape orientation. You never know how the magazine will want to arrange your photos on a page.
* Shoot a lot, but always intentionally, never randomly.
* One or two wide shots are enough, maybe add a few more medium shots, but it’s the small details that make all the difference.